Deformable material dispensing containers, typically tubular or other shaped housings having an openable restriction (e.g. Cap, such as a flat style, a fez style or a pedestal style) at one end and being sealed at the other end, include material therein that can be displaced through the openable restriction when the material dispenser (e.g. the ‘tube’) is deformed, such as by squeezing, which temporarily diminishes the volume of the housings to urge the contained included material out through the openable restriction. However, owing to the housing material and/or geometrical configuration, the housing tends to return to the original configuration or volume, delaying or interfering with subsequent dispensing of the included material.
Additionally, during a squeezing action, some portion of materials will be displaced in opposite of opening direction and create necessity to make a more refined or controlled squeezing action necessary to push those materials to the tube opening.
External dispenser compression devices applied to the housing distal from the openable restriction to maintain prior housing deformations require specific modification or construction of the housing to connect to and operate which may undesirably raise the costs, complexity and/or formation of the housing to receive external devices or use housings (e.g. tubes) currently commercially available.
A wide variety of devices have been suggested and provided for the purpose of holding in a collapsible tube, a fluid or cream-like material such as a tube of toothpaste, and gradually and controllably dispensing the contents. These devices range from a simple slotted key, to ceramic rollers, to elaborate geared contraptions.
These devices generally operate with a channel receiving a tube of toothpaste or the like and provided with a means for supporting the tube so as to progressively dispense the contents of the tube. Collapsible containers or tubes typically have flat back ends and provided with an annular cross-section terminating with a relatively narrow neck, which is fitted with a screw-on cap or other such closure. When the cap is removed, the open end of the neck serves as an outlet for the product discharged from the tube for application in the ordinary course of its use. Many such tubes are made from a pliable plastic material, which one can squeeze by hand to force product out. Usually the wall thickness of plastic tubes is between 400 and 650 microns. These tubes usually do not hold their deformed configuration once the externally applied pressure is released, but rather spring back to approximately their original shape and condition.
Other containers or tubes are laminates typically consist of multiple layers of foils (aluminum) or films that are united by extrusion or adhesive lamination. The middle film or aluminum foil is usually the barrier layer. It prevents components of the medium from escaping from the tube. It also prevents critical substances that could influence or change the products (such as oxygen) from the environment from entering into the tube. Interior and exterior films of the laminate tubes ensure sealability, printability and the necessary properties with respect to the product. Currently processes laminates in thicknesses between 250 and 400 microns.
For those tubes, which spring back to their approximate original shape, the product they contain can once again spread out over the full volume of the tube. As the contents are used up and removed from the tube, the small amount remaining in the tube can be hard to dispense by the usual method of applying finger pressure.
Similarly, in cases where the tubes remain deformed, pockets of cream products may be scattered throughout the tube. Again, this unwanted, sporadic accumulation of the product to be discharged prevents the latter from being fully squeezed out of the tube, if a regular finger pressure is used.
Some attempts have been made previously to provide mechanical devices, which can apply greater force, or more evenly distribute the force applied, than is possible using one's fingers only. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,420 discloses the tube, secured within a channel by means of its flat end, and a slide progressively engaging the tube to empty its contents. The structure of this patent may have certain disadvantages associated with a substantial amount of material remains trapped at a conically shaped end of tube. It is necessary, thus, that the user provide an additional force to further squeeze the remaining material out of the tube.
Furthermore, the prior art dispensing arrangements may have limited flexibility with regard to the number of sizes of packages that could be used in a particular device, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,298, commonly owned with and fully incorporated by reference herein. This invention describes a flexible wall of tube has a plurality of depressions and projections arranged in the longitudinal direction and squeezing mechanism engage with those wall depressions and projections. Wall thickness of laminated tubes is 250-400 microns and wall thickness of plastic extruded tube is 400-650 microns and create those depressions and projections on thin wall like this with ability to engage with squeezing mechanism and protect squeezing mechanism from displacement during tube squeezing is impossible.
Furthermore, the prior art dispensing arrangements may have limited flexibility with regard to the number of sizes of packages that could be used in a particular device, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,517,218 which is commonly owned with and fully incorporated by reference herein, and describes a dispenser for delivery substance from container consist a reusable track extended between front and rear end of the container and this track detachably adhered to the container and slider, in direct contact with container, detachably coupled to the track. When a squeezing action is applied to tube (with a transvers ‘pusher’) to squeeze out the substance from the tube, pressure from this action will translate from slider to track “tooth” and because track detachably adhered to container wall in order to re-use the track, and the track will be removed off from container wall and track and slider will separate from container. Accordingly, it is not desired to make a strong or permanent track adherence to the container wall to allow track separation from container. To ensure engagement between track “tooth” and the pusher having a member that engages the track tooth, a precise relationship is needed between track and pusher, which is difficult to attach this track to another container by user with this required precision.
According to another U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,800 a strip, laminate including metal foil and at least one metal foil layer within a plastic material forming the tube to which the strip is attached, and this strip provides a ‘dead-fold’ (i.e. no mechanical memory to return to the unfolded state) characteristics. The thickness of this metal foil strip is between 40 to 200 microns to provide dead-fold characteristics, and width of said strip being less than the circumference of said tube and the thickness of the metal foil of the tubular body being within the interval of 5 to 40 microns. According to this patent, the metal and plastic strip can provide a dead-fold characteristics only to laminated tubes (including a metal strip) and this strip cannot be used with extruded plastic tubes. Moreover, this strip cannot prevent material squeezing in a direction opposite from the tube opening, because width of the toothless, simple strip being less than the circumference of said tube and will leave part of the tube with thin wall. Additionally, squeezing action will be more difficult, because strip with thicker metal foil makes the resulting tube structure more rigid.
It is desirable to have an integrated container laminated or extruded from plastic to be able to prevent (during squeezing action) some portion of tube internal materials to be displaced in opposite of opening direction and thus require additional squeezing action to push those materials to the tube opening. It is desirable flexible and a single layered strip longitudinally and permanently attached to container outer surface in position to provide a reliable engagement between pusher and the strip teeth.